Determining the operative line of resection for image‐guided emphysema surgery using a laser scanner and non‐rigid registration

Background Although many diseases such as emphysema are diagnosed with preoperative imaging modalities, this information is rarely utilized in the operating room. A method that relates the preoperative images to the non‐rigid organ in physical space would aid a surgeon to determine the line of resection. Methods We used a three‐dimensional (3D) laser scanner to obtain intraoperative images of the lung and overlayed it with preoperative CT images, using a non‐rigid image registration method. Results The non‐overlapping registration error of the system was 1.91 ± 0.28% without organ deformation and 2.69 ± 0.28% with 9% organ deformation. When 83% of the organ was visible, the registration error was 2.99 ± 0.42%. Conclusion A novel image overlay system using a 3D laser scanner and a non‐rigid registration method was implemented and its accuracy evaluated. By using the proposed system, we successfully related the preoperative images with an open organ in the operating room. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.